Blaine Hudson

When I applied to become the Fairness Campaign's first director, it was not to a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender event that I went to meet our nonprofit's leadership. Instead, I looked on the Fairness website to find the event I should attend: one of Dr. Blaine Hudson's Saturday Academy seminars, where issues of racial discrimination and intersecting oppressions were weekly dissected under the scrutinizing lens of Dr. Hudson and his myriad panels of distinguished guests.

Just as certain as I was to find Fairness leaders at Dr. Hudson's seminars, I could be assured of Dr. Blaine and Bani Hines-Hudson's brilliant smiles at Fairness events celebrating Louisville's LGBT community. Together, they understood that to truly dismantle any form of oppression in America, all forms of prejudice must be addressed.

Dr. Hudson lived the principles upon which our campaign and so many other civil rights movements have been founded. Through his teaching, his direct grassroots actions, and his legacy of scholarly achievements that will benefit generations of Americans, Dr. Hudson has proven one person can truly help shape the world around them for the better. Our community is undeniably more aware, astute, and accepting of diversity because of his work. Thank you, Dr. Hudson.

CHRIS HARTMAN

Director

Fairness Campaign

Louisville 40206

Tot lots

Mayor Greg Fischer's initiative to clean up abandoned lots and restore decrepit housing must be backed by citizen action.

In 1951, my high school fraternity, Pi Tau Pi, accepted then-Mayor Charles Farnsley's challenge to find empty neighborhood lots to convert to children's playgrounds (Tot Lots). We canvassed most of the neighborhoods in Louisville and presented to City Hall our list of potential sites.

Soon after, we left for college and never learned how many Tot Lots were chosen or built. The Cherokee Triangle Tot Lot built on Olmsted Conservancy land still exists. All of my children grew up in the shadow of this city oasis gamboling about in the swings, slides and on their bikes. Tot Lots should again be promoted and woven into our city planning.

MORRIS WEIS

Louisville 40204

So-called liberals

I'm a longtime reader whose favorite part of the paper is Readers' Forum.

I note, as in the past, Bible thumpers are expressing their dissatisfaction with your so-called liberal stance.

During my 80-plus years a few things that have not changed are almost any religion can be explained to another person in about half an hour and many believe the Bible settles every question while others feel he who dies with the most toys wins.

BOB MOORE

Louisville 40242

Society has changed

In response to the letter in Wednesday's paper where the writer expresses religious objections to a comparison of interracial and gay marriage: I was taught our country was founded for freedom of religion. The forefathers had members of all backgrounds. The writer is free to follow her Christian beliefs, but that is not the basis of our country. Freedom to your own beliefs is what our country stands for. If you are not injuring someone else you are free to believe.

Also, her idea that gay couples can inherit just like married ones is inaccurate. Tax laws are different for nonfamily members. She needs to remember how Jesus treated people. That is the Christian way she should follow.

I think the comparison of the interracial and gay couple is a valid one. Society has changed.

MARY HAZELWOOD

Louisville 40220

Race car breaks

Where is the outrage? While passing tax breaks for the middle class and hiking taxes on the rich, the press and pundits praised the Congress. Where was the outrage when the House tacked gifts to their benefactors onto this legislation? Race car owners seem to be the big winners, not the American public. Instead of paying down the deficit with this new revenue, or saving Medicare, Congress saved the owners of "motor sports entertainment complexes" $70 million over the next two years.

In fact, dozens in business and industry will benefit from tax breaks, many of which span 10 years, several retroactive to 2012, a total of $67.9 billion in 2013. So, Republicans, so-called fiscal conservatives, have again fooled the American public into thinking they held up the fiscal cliff legislation from passage as a protest. In reality, they were just cutting deals for their benefactors.

Where is the press, the watch dogs of democracy, on this? Where are the headlines that warn the American people that they are again being fleeced by the House of Representatives? I guess the members of the tea party that serve in the House were asleep? So, the money raised through this new revenue is spent. Now what? Listen to these same Republican conservatives tell us how shutting down the government will be "good" for us.

DR. SUSAN COX

Louisville 40207

Police state

The writer of the Jan. 10 letter to the editor needs to look up the definition of "police state." With Homeland Security and executive orders we are nearly there already. Stay tuned, it's coming.